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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22711489">What Love Gives</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sed/pseuds/Sed'>Sed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>World of Warcraft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Breeding, Come Inflation, Festivals, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Large Cock, Love Is in the Air (Warcraft), M/M, Size Difference, Size Kink, bulging</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:09:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22711489</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sed/pseuds/Sed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anduin has been invited to attend a festival in Mulgore as Baine's honored guest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baine Bloodhoof/Anduin Wrynn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Love is in the Air Fic Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What Love Gives</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sjoll/gifts">Sjoll</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There were no specific requests beyond the ship, so I sort of went nuts. Hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s only two days, Genn.”</p><p>“Two days is plenty of time to slip a knife between your ribs, my boy,” Genn pointed out. “Think what those beasts might—”</p><p>“Please, don’t call them that. Baine is my friend,” Anduin said. He had reminded Genn of that fact several times already, yet it never seemed to stick. “I’ve known him for years, and I trust him. He would never allow anyone in Thunder Bluff to harm me.”</p><p>“You’re so certain of that, are you? Do recall what the Horde did to Teldrassil. To Darkshore. Anduin, they are not to be trusted.”</p><p>“Valeera will be there to keep an eye on me,” Anduin said. “And if that’s not enough for your peace of mind, recall that it was <em>Baine</em> who freed Jaina’s brother. She could have killed him then, and yet she didn’t. She trusted him. Do you doubt Jaina’s judgement as well as mine?”</p><p>“Not your judgment, Anduin. Their intentions.”</p><p>“Baine will not harm me. Besides,” Anduin added, smiling, “it’s a love festival celebration, Genn. Hardly the sort of place one would expect an assassin to come creeping in.”</p><p>“Precisely why you should expect one.” He sighed and unfolded his arms. Anduin was surprised when they didn’t creak; Genn had been holding himself as rigid as a statue since almost the moment Anduin announced he had accepted Baine’s invitation. “Very well. Perhaps the tauren aren’t so terrible as the rest of them,” he finally conceded. His grimace still carved deep furrows around his mouth.</p><p>“I consider that remarkable progress, Genn. Thank you.”</p><p>“Your cheek is noted, Your Majesty.”</p><p>Anduin smiled. He stuffed the last of his clothes into the travel bag and buckled the leather strap. “Valeera will be there,” he said one more time, just to remind him.</p><p>“Hm. It could be worse, I suppose. You could be surrounding yourself with Forsaken. At least I needn’t worry about that in Mulgore.”</p><p>Anduin shrugged. “Only a handful, anyway,” he said without thinking.</p><p>He looked up to find that Genn’s frown had somehow managed to deepen <em>even further</em>, which he hadn’t actually believed possible. “Was it truly necessary to tell me that?” Genn asked.</p><p>“Apologies. I wasn’t thinking. I’ll bring you a souvenir from Mulgore, if you like.”</p><p>“Bring <em>yourself</em> back from Mulgore, and we’ll consider the matter settled.”</p><p> </p><p><br/>A dry wind kicked up from the valley below, and Anduin closed his eyes as it washed over him. It carried with it the clean scent of prairie grass and rich earth. When he opened his eyes again he could see waves of movement rippling across the valley floor, tracking the path of the wind as it rolled across the open plains. Mulgore was stunning. Anduin could only gaze in awe and give thanks for the opportunity to witness such unrivaled beauty.</p><p>He was standing high atop the Spirit Rise, his back to the rest of the village. It was peaceful, quiet. The rest of Thunder Bluff was just as fascinating to him, but nowhere quite captured the serenity of this most sacred corner of the city.</p><p>“Are you enjoying the view, Your Majesty?” he heard Baine’s deep voice rumble behind him.</p><p>“Very much,” Anduin answered. “But I would enjoy it more if you called me by my name, and not my title,” he added. He cast a smile over his shoulder at the high chieftain.</p><p>“Forgive me, I sometimes find it easier to slip into such formality these days. Anduin.”</p><p>Baine came to stand beside him, and together they gazed out over the plains. Anduin could feel the brush of the tauren’s sun-warmed fur against his arm. “I know I’ve thanked you for your invitation already, but I am truly grateful. This is a one-of-a-kind experience for a human king,” he said.</p><p>“If only it hadn’t taken so long,” Baine agreed.</p><p>He remained at Anduin’s side for several minutes, sharing the silence without expectation, and for that Anduin was grateful. It was late afternoon, and the sun was drawing closer to the mountains with every passing minute. With its descent the winds would cool, and the high bluffs would sink into a crisp and black night. “I should have packed a heavier coat,” he muttered, more to himself than Baine.</p><p>“I believe tonight’s bonfire should keep you warm,” Baine said.</p><p>Anduin nodded. “I’ll sit closer to the fire.” He cast a quick glance at Baine and smiled. “I suppose there will be plenty of room there.”</p><p>Baine seemed to understand his joke; Anduin caught a small snort of amusement from him. “My people learned long ago how to best avoid singed fur,” he confirmed.</p><p> </p><p><br/>Between the bonfire and the dancing, Anduin needn’t have worried about being warm. The rhythm of the enormous wood-and-hide drums and reedy flutes seeped into his skin and seemed to beat in time with his heart, and he found he could barely stand to approach the fire after a while. He had thought that the tauren festival would be a somber affair, perhaps even a silent one. He expected stories passed down from sage elders, not passionate reenactments and wild festivity. It thrilled him to have been so wrong.</p><p>“Love is a gift,” Baine explained to him at one point. “One to be celebrated and honored with all of one’s heart, and as much spirit as possible. We give from ourselves what love gives to us.”</p><p>Anduin found he liked that. He liked the simplicity and the dignity of it.</p><p>He soon lost track of the hour, of how many times he heard the same wonderful stories of romance and devotion and mates bound by the Earthmother to share an unbreakable bond. He lost track of his drinks and he shared food with so many of the festival-goers that he thought by the end of the evening he might have met everyone in Thunder Bluff.</p><p>When he bumped into Baine again he said, “I confess, I’d been expecting something a bit more…”</p><p>“Tame?” Baine asked.</p><p>“Staid. That was always the impression I had of your people before now.”</p><p>Baine laughed at that. The sound of it rolled through the air between them to rival the drums, and Anduin found it had a very similar effect on him. “You have been terribly misinformed, my friend,” he said.</p><p>“So I’m beginning to see!” Anduin shouted over the swell of another song and the chorus of voices that followed.</p><p> </p><p><br/>It was very late—or very early—when all the excitement and revelry finally began to die down. Anduin felt dead on his feet, but still electrified by the experience. He thought he might lie awake for hours if he tried to sleep so soon.</p><p>He had been given a place of honor on the central bluff, in his own small hut close to the lodge where Baine made his home. Anduin hadn’t seen so much as a hint of Valeera’s presence, but he knew better than to think she had abandoned him. She was undoubtedly watching, keen eyes sharper in the night than those of any tauren—or human.</p><p>There was a small brazier in the center of the hut, a low table to one side, and his bedroll on the other. It was by no means extravagant, but it served his needs just fine. He was surprisingly comfortable atop the pile of furs and woven blankets, stretched out across a large, braided rug that served as the floor. It was simple, and it was peaceful. All of Thunder Bluff seemed that way, in fact. Anduin was so accustomed to the clamor of Stormwind’s busy streets, the industrial noises of the Dwarven District, and the sounds of the docks far below the keep that he was almost surprised to realize he could hear <em>crickets</em>.</p><p>He could also hear the rest of the city’s residents, going about their last business for the day, winding down from the excitement of the festival. He could hear those that were still carrying on well after the others had given up and turned for home. It was not silent, but nor was it <em>noisy</em>. The sounds around him seemed almost complementary, in a way. Soothing to his drum-rattled ears.</p><p>He heard a familiar snort outside the flap of his hut, and sat up. “Baine?” he asked quietly.</p><p>The high chieftain stepped inside and lowered his head in a bow. “I wasn’t certain if you were still awake,” he said. “I simply wished to bid you goodnight.”</p><p>“Actually, I don’t think I’ll sleep any time soon. My legs still feel like they’re dancing.”</p><p>Baine chuckled. He gestured to an open space on the floor. “May I?” he asked.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>Anduin watched as Baine folded his massive form into the relatively small space between the brazier and the hide flap behind him. It was quite impressive, actually. “Thank you. I confess that my own legs are quite tired as well.”</p><p>“We could trade,” Anduin said, smiling.</p><p>Baine’s brow furrowed for just a few seconds, as though he was imagining what that might look like, and then he abruptly broke into laughter. It seemed to rattle the walls of the hut, and Anduin couldn’t help but join him. It really did paint a ridiculous picture.</p><p>“Your totems would make you rather top-heavy,” he said, which only made them both laugh even more.</p><p>“You might find the draenei could provide you with suitable armor to replace yours,” Baine added.</p><p>Anduin wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and nodded. “I might actually be able to outrun Genn.”</p><p>“I sincerely doubt that.”</p><p>They laughed until Anduin’s ears were ringing, and then they took a few moments to simply breathe, and to let the last bit of amusement come and go, and fade into nothing more than smiles.</p><p>“I don’t think I realized just how much I needed this,” Anduin admitted after the last chuckle had shaken his shoulders. “I think we all did, in fact.”</p><p>“This war has been difficult for us all,” Baine agreed.</p><p>“Well, I am glad to be here, now,” Anduin said. Quietly adding, “With you.”</p><p>He hadn’t meant anything particular by it, at least, not consciously. But Baine looked up and met his eyes over the small fire, and Anduin felt his heart give a lurch, making him restless and hot all over again. Baine said nothing, and Anduin didn’t know what to say.</p><p>Slowly, taking care to pull the blankets back gently, Anduin stood up and moved to where Baine was sitting. He barely topped the tauren’s incredible height even then, but he could still look down on him, see the nervous pin of his ears and hear the way his tail swept anxiously across the rug.</p><p>“May I?” Anduin asked. He wasn’t sure what he was asking permission <em>for</em>, only that he wanted to do something, and he knew there was a chance Baine might refuse.</p><p>But he received a quick, almost undetectable nod, and Anduin sank to his knees before him. It placed him between Baine’s broad legs, so close he could feel the heat of his breath as it washed over his skin. Anduin reached up and closed his fingers around one of Baine’s ears, gently stroking to the surprisingly soft tip. He cupped the side of Baine’s face and leaned in close, moving so slowly that he could watch as Baine’s eyes sank until they were half-lidded and dark. His lips touched fur and he smiled. It was, like the festival, better than he had imagined.</p><p>It was then that he realized he <em>had</em> imagined it. He’d daydreamed about it, here and there, but never really thought about what it might mean. Or considered that he could <em>do</em> something about it.</p><p>“Did you ever want to do this?” he found himself asking. He was whispering, still holding Baine’s face in his hands as he drew his lips along the soft side of his muzzle. Dried white paint met his fingertips when he trailed them up and over the top of Baine’s snout, tracing the shape of his brow.</p><p>“I…” Baine said quietly, but he never finished the thought.</p><p>“I did,” Anduin confessed. He pressed his lips fully to Baine’s, finding those, too, were softer than he’d expected. He licked out experimentally, tasting Baine’s mouth. He tasted like wheat ale and wood smoke from the fire. Emboldened, Anduin delved deeper, sliding his tongue past flat teeth, seeking an answer from the tentative brush of another warm, wet tongue.</p><p>Baine groaned, and it rattled through Anduin, making him ache. Arms like wide tree branches wrapped around him. Anduin moved his hands to the thick ruff at the nape of Baine’s neck, just below his mane, and wound his fingers around the coarse fur. Baine licked out, meeting Anduin’s enthusiasm with his own, and his tongue was so big that it almost filled Anduin’s mouth. But rather than finding it disgusting, Anduin only wanted more. He moaned around the slippery muscle and pursed his lips, sucking lightly. Baine made a rough sound deep in his throat, and his hands slid lower until he could cup Anduin’s backside.</p><p>When Baine pulled his tongue back so that he could nuzzle and lick at the soft skin below Anduin’s jaw, Anduin took the opportunity to ask, “Do you want to be with me?”</p><p>It wasn’t exactly how he had imagined inviting his friend to a night of passion—not that he’d often imagined such particulars at all—but it would do; at the other end of the long snout Anduin could see Baine’s eyes grow wide. His tail flicked behind him and his nostrils flared. He made a sound, almost like a long, low growl, and when Anduin dared a glance between his legs he saw Baine’s leather loincloth tented significantly. He swallowed and took a shaky breath. It seemed the answer was <em>yes</em>.</p><p>“I will need something to make it easier for you,” Baine said, almost muttering the words against Anduin’s ear. The touch of his lips made him shiver.</p><p>“I don’t suppose you have anything with you.”</p><p>Baine shook his head just a bit. His ears flicked, showing his agitation—or perhaps his anticipation. Maybe even desire. “Wait for me here, please,” he said.</p><p>Anduin wanted to laugh; where would he go? And <em>why?</em> He sat back on his heels while Baine stood and pushed aside the hide flap, disappearing back into the night.</p><p>In the silence that followed Anduin began to notice his heart pounding in his chest, the suddenly overwhelming chorus of the crickets outside, and the blessed sounds of festival-goers still carrying on long into the night. He didn’t imagine he would be able to keep very quiet once Baine returned, and the hides were thick, but they weren’t <em>that</em> thick.</p><p>He began removing his clothes, thinking that would be prudent, given what they were about to do. Would Baine like that, he wondered? Well, it couldn’t be a <em>bad</em> thing. Kicking off his pants, Anduin settled himself back on the bedroll. He realized after several minutes that he was simply lying there, stiff as a board—in more ways than one—and rather awkward.</p><p>After rearranging himself several times, he ended up kneeling again, his erection stiff against his stomach, rubbing his thighs as he awaited Baine’s return.</p><p>When Baine pushed the flap aside he stuttered to a stop so abruptly that he nearly pitched forward. It took no more than a fraction of a second, but he hurried inside and tugged the hide down again, quickly securing it with a leather tie.</p><p>“I doubt anyone was looking,” Anduin said helpfully.</p><p>“I would prefer not to risk dishonoring you.” Baine seemed very nervous all of a sudden. His ears were pinned again, and he wouldn’t meet Anduin’s eyes.</p><p>“Come over here?” Anduin asked. He patted the bedroll. The space where it had been set up was more than wide enough to accommodate both of them—provided Baine knelt over Anduin. He was just fine with that, of course. “Please?”</p><p>Although it had faded somewhat, Baine’s interest was still rather obvious. It was fortunate for both of them that the night outside was so dark, or Anduin imagined he might not have been so keen to make the trip to and from. Now, standing over Anduin, his gaze very obviously roaming over the naked expanse of the young king’s flesh, he seemed to catch a second wind.</p><p>Anduin held his arms up, beckoning Baine to him.</p><p>They kissed again, and Anduin took the opportunity to let his hands explore as much of the tauren’s body as he could reach. It wasn’t much. He was just so <em>big</em>. That thought alone drove Anduin wild with arousal, and he had to grip his own cock to ease some of the urgency. Baine snorted against his neck, lowering his head to lick at the plane of his chest, drawing his rough tongue over each of Anduin’s taut, pink nipples. He did it again and again, until Anduin was squirming, unconsciously stroking himself and panting.</p><p>“Baine,” he pleaded, “not yet.”</p><p>“I doubt you will last long once we begin.”</p><p>Anduin couldn’t stop himself from groaning. He held tight to Baine’s arms and nuzzled his chin. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”</p><p>Whatever salve or ointment Baine had procured for them was wonderfully fragrant, and it coated Anduin’s fingers and warmed nicely on his skin. He began on himself, letting Baine watch as he knelt before Anduin, looking down on him with a view of both front and back. That hardly seemed fair, but once he had pushed his fingers past the knuckle Anduin stopped caring what Baine could see that he couldn’t. He whined and shivered, raising up onto his knees and then sinking back down on his heels, too aroused to know which he wanted anymore. Knowing Baine was watching him, knowing Baine <em>desired him</em>, was almost more than he could bear.</p><p>While Anduin worked himself open, Baine went about slowly removing his loincloth, setting it aside where it wouldn’t be in the way. His cock, far larger than Anduin had guessed from the shape beneath the drape of the leather, was barely contained by the garment underneath. It strained at the ties that held it trapped in place, swollen past the top and leaking steadily against the fur of Baine’s stomach. It was <em>enormous</em>. Bigger than Anduin had ever seen—certainly bigger than he had ever dared to take before. He let out a long, drawn-out<em> “ooh”</em> and added another finger. It probably wouldn’t be enough.</p><p>“Allow me,” Baine said. He was naked now, wearing nothing but two armbands and the gold rings fitted to his horns. His cock stood long and curved, tapering just a bit at the end. Anduin let his gaze wander lower, taking in the differences, fascinated and aroused in equal measure. Baine’s balls were covered in the same fur as the rest of him, and Anduin found he was just as anxious to learn what they felt like against his skin.</p><p>He turned on his knees, bending down and presenting himself to the high chieftain.</p><p>Baine’s sigh was rough and full of desire, and he wasted no time replacing Anduin’s three fingers with one of his own. It was wider, longer, and covered in fine hairs that felt like raw silk against Anduin’s sensitive hole. He bucked down onto the bedroll, and Baine followed him, plunging into him and stretching him wide. Anduin grunted and tugged at the blankets, at the hides. “Another,” he managed to growl. Baine was <em>big</em>. It was going to take more than one of his fingers.</p><p>Light, but he wanted it <em>now</em>.</p><p>There was no patience, no effort at finesse; Baine pushed deep and withdrew again, over and over, inadvertently brushing the spot that drove Anduin wild with need simply because his fingers were too large to avoid it.</p><p>Over his shoulder Anduin could hear the slick sound of Baine’s hand on his own cock, stroking slowly, spreading the salve along his length. It made his throat dry and his mouth water, but he didn’t bother to wonder how that was possible. “Baine, I’m ready, please,” he said.</p><p>Baine didn’t waste time asking if he was certain, and Anduin was grateful for that. He knelt over Anduin, taking him by the hip as he slowly guided the head of his cock to the cleft of Anduin’s ass. It was slick and hot, and Anduin whined when he felt it begin to push between his cheeks. He was on his hands and knees still, head hanging between his shoulders. From there he could see Baine’s balls hanging between his thighs.</p><p>He took a deep breath and made himself relax, calling upon the Light to soothe him just enough that he could release the tension in his body and accept Baine’s incredible length. It helped, but there was still an unavoidable stretch and accompanying discomfort. He felt pushed to the edges, too wide and too full to breathe. His fingers curled into claws against the bedroll, and he gulped in each breath. Baine was snorting, grunting over him, blowing puffs of hot air across Anduin’s neck. His fingers dug into Anduin’s hips, almost certainly hard enough to leave bruises.</p><p>“It’s… tight…” he growled.</p><p>“Oh, <em>Light</em>, Baine, it feels like you’re tearing me in <em>half</em>,” Anduin groaned. His arms trembled, and he could feel sweat rolling down his neck, his forehead, dripping to the bedroll beneath him and staining it dark. “Don’t <em>stop</em>.”</p><p>Baine kept pushing, kept sinking deeper and deeper into Anduin. He didn’t stop until the full length of him was inside, and Anduin was stretched around him, pink and sore and so sensitive. Anduin felt like his lungs were up in his throat. He reached down to take hold of his own cock and give himself a tug and his hand bumped into something.</p><p><em>“Oh!”</em> he choked, stunned and so painfully aroused by what he found that he could barely think clearly. Baine was so deep, so big and so <em>much</em>, that Anduin’s belly was bulging out, protruding in the rough shape of the tauren’s thick cock. He shifted, and Anduin felt the solid length within him move under his hand—under his <em>skin</em>. His own cock throbbed and dripped, and he pressed his palm against the bulge.</p><p>Baine snorted and dropped down onto his hands. He was still able to kneel over Anduin, but now Anduin could feel the soft brush of his fur, and hear every sound that escaped him as he shifted his hips and adjusted himself inside Anduin’s body. He could feel it beneath his hand, too.</p><p>Anduin’s knees were between Baine’s, and his small arms were bracketed by his as well. He was entirely surrounded by the bulk of Baine’s body, covered and filled with him, and utterly at his mercy.</p><p>Baine rolled his hips, pushing even <em>deeper</em> somehow, and nearly sending Anduin pitching forward. He managed to stop himself, but Baine just kept going. Like before, he simply didn’t stop. He pulled back and thrust in again, his hot, slick cock dragging against Anduin’s oversensitive hole, punching into him as Baine started moving faster and faster. He was almost animalistic in his drive to take Anduin, to fill him and claim him, and Anduin loved every second of it. He could feel the back-and-forth slide of Baine’s cock inside him, under his palm and in his ass, and he felt the slap of his enormous balls. They were warm and soft, and Anduin found he liked that, too.</p><p>There was no need for words, or else Baine had none to offer. He drove into Anduin like he was possessed by some primal need—almost like he wanted to <em>breed</em> him. The thought made Anduin’s balls ache, and he bit his lip. Baine was right, he wouldn’t last long. The drag of his cock was too much; the feeling of it pushing against Anduin’s abdomen from the inside, sliding back and forth beneath his hand; and the sound of him grunting and snorting in Anduin’s ear was more than he could bear.</p><p>He pushed the heel of his palm against the bulge and cursed as he came, come spattering across the bedroll beneath him. Baine pushed in again, and Anduin’s cock gave another valiant pulse.</p><p>Baine straightened up once more, still on his knees, hands now settled over the curve of Anduin’s ass. He began hammering mercilessly forward, slapping into Anduin from behind and pulling him back onto his cock at the same time, faster and faster. Anduin kept his hand to his belly to feel every thrust. He groaned and trembled, overstimulated and wrung out by his orgasm, but unwilling or <em>unable</em> to stop.</p><p>After several more minutes of relentless pounding, Baine gripped him tight and slammed into him, and Anduin felt the bulge beneath his palm throb as Baine pumped spurt after spurt of come deep inside him.</p><p>He expected that his stomach would flatten out again once Baine withdrew, but to his shock the change was hardly noticeable; only a soft curve, instead of a sudden protrusion. He was so full of Baine’s come that he could <em>feel</em> it.</p><p>“Anduin…” Baine rumbled, sounding breathless and ragged, but more like himself again.</p><p>“M’fine,” Anduin slurred a bit. He swallowed and tried again. “Fine… A little weak. Not sure I can move on my own.”</p><p>Baine gently picked him up and turned him over, settling him down in a spot where he wouldn’t be lying in anything wet—until he shifted, and Baine’s come began to leak back out, pooling beneath him, hot and thick and almost as good going out as it had been going in. Anduin moaned, still holding his stomach as it flattened again, and Baine seemed to panic until he apparently realized there was nothing he could do to stop it. He simply grabbed a blanket and wrapped Anduin in <em>that</em>, instead.</p><p>“Thank you,” Anduin mumbled. He was settled against Baine’s chest, head tucked under his neck.</p><p>“I apologize for… this…” Baine said. He indicated the mess that had been Anduin’s bed. “I will have you moved somewhere and see to straightening this myself.”</p><p>Anduin hummed sleepily. He really wasn’t concerned with the hut anymore. He wasn’t concerned with much of anything, in fact. Except sleep, and maybe something to eat. Some more ale would be nice, too.</p><p>He expressed those wishes to Baine, whose thick chest shook with silent laughter beneath him. “I will see to everything you need, Anduin,” he promised.</p><p>“Mm. Your bed will be fine.”</p><p>Baine carried him outside, into the darkness. It was a good thing it was so late, Anduin thought for what he suspected was the fourth or fifth time since he had first set his hands to Baine’s fur. The lingering sounds of celebration had begun to die down, and there was no one out and about anymore. Only the crickets remained, still singing on. The stars overhead were clear and the sky was such a deep blue that it was almost black. Mulgore truly was breathtaking.</p><p>Anduin thought of something and snickered. He heard a curious hum from Baine, and said, “Nothing.” But after a moment to think about it he changed his mind. “Do you suppose we gave enough of ourselves tonight for what we’ve been given?” he asked.</p><p>Baine stumbled a step, but he kept a firm grip on Anduin in his arms. “Did we…?” He began, clearly surprised by what Anduin was really saying. He stopped walking, halfway between the hut and his own lodge. After a moment Anduin felt him shrug. With a smile in his voice, he said, “I cannot imagine how we might have managed otherwise.”</p><p>Anduin nodded. He reached up and set a hand to Baine’s cheek; his fur felt so nice, so soft and warm. Anduin thought he could keep touching it forever. “Good,” he said, smiling contentedly. The last thing he was aware of before he slipped into a deep and comfortable sleep was the sound of crickets, accompanied by the steady rhythm of Baine’s breath against his hair, and the warmth of his body.</p><p>It really was quite lovely in Mulgore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Valeera, upon realizing what's going on inside the hut: I do not get paid enough to stick around for this.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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